Windows 10 after 6 months: already the second most used Desktop OS

Administrator

09:43, January 31, 2016

Windows 10 was launched six months ago and since then, Microsoft has been pushing really hard to encourage users to adopt it and benefit from the free upgrade offer available for those on Windows 7 and 8.1.

New statistics show that all of Microsoft’s efforts are paying off to a certain degree, as Windows 10 has become the second most-used desktop operating system across the world, but it still has a hard time getting closer to leader Windows 7.

Data provided by StatCounter reveals that right now, Windows 10 is powering 13.52 percent of the desktop computers, while Windows 7 leads the pack with 46.8 percent. Windows 8.1 is losing ground every month and is now third with 11.66 percent.

While Microsoft can already brag about Windows 10’s early adoption since the new OS managed to overtake its predecessor in just 6 months after launch, these figures are the result of a very aggressive push that’s expected to get even more aggressive in the coming weeks.

It’s no secret that some computers have been upgraded to Windows 10 due to what Microsoft called “an accident,” while a number of users have complained that the new operating system landed on their computers without actually being provided the option to refuse the upgrade.

Starting with early 2016, this aggressive campaign becomes official, as Microsoft will make the Windows 10 upgrade a recommended download in Windows Update. The new OS will thus be displayed in the list of recommended updates and will no longer be optional, but Microsoft guarantees that users would still be allowed to choose whether to install Windows 10 or not.

In the meantime, Windows 10 keeps improving its adoption figures and the chances are that it will continue to do the same thing in the coming months. The free upgrade expires on July 29, so eligible users still have some six months to install it.